Integrated checkposts to come up along borders

Petrapole: The Centre has decided to develop 13 checkposts along borders with Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar as integrated checkposts.

Rajiv Kher, joint secretary union commerce ministry, said: “Petrapole, the largest land port in Asia, would be developed as an integrated check post in the first phase in view of the rising trade activities between India and Bangladesh from here.”

A detailed project report on this is with the Centre and the execution will take three years. Once completed it would improve the infrastructure at Petrapole, through which 81,000 truckloads of various goods were sent from the country to Bangladesh, he said. He also said that the Kolkata-Petrapole NH 35 would be widened.

The commerce ministry official also informed that discussions are on at the central level regarding the introduction of gambo passports for truck drivers, helpers and clearing agents. These passports do not require visas.